Category: Northern Reports

Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya yesterday swore-in Justice Halima Mohammed, as the first female Chief Judge of the state.

Yahaya, at the swearing-in in Gombe, described the moment as “joyful and historic,” seeing a woman leader taking the oath of office as the new head of the judicial arm of government in the state.

The governor said her appointment followed the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and ratified by members of the Gombe State House of Assembly as required by the constitution.

Yahaya described Mohammed as “a woman of redoubtable legal expertise, outstanding experience, strong character and remarkable integrity, who will continue to serve as a source of inspiration to our daughters.

“As an experienced jurist, I have no doubt that she has what it takes to impact positively on the administration of justice in Gombe State.

“It is our belief that she will discharge her duties in this new role with utmost commitment and integrity, as she has always done for the benefit of our dear state,” he said.

Yahaya urged the new chief judge to provide the right kind of leadership for the judiciary as well as ensure proper administration of justice in the state.

The 59-year-old Mohammed appreciated God for the opportunity to witness such a day.

The new chief judge who broke down in tears during the oath-taking said with her kind of background, it would be emotional for anyone who attains the position of chief judge.

She pledged to reform the judiciary in the state, ensure computerisation of the system as well as address challenges affecting the welfare of personnel.

Mohammed said: “I was not born with a silver spoon having attended Local Education Authority (LEA) school and from there to Queens school, Ilorin. So, no matter your position or location, if you put up an effort, it will be seen by the world and you will move forward.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mohammed was born on May 3, 1963 in Tula, Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State and attended LEA primary school in Billiri LGA of the state.

She attended Queens Elizabeth school in Ilorin, Kwara, for her secondary education, obtained her first degree in Bachelor of Laws from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Jos in Plateau.

The United Nations said it would need US$1.3 billion this year to address the humanitarian crisis in the North East of the country.

The money, the global body said, is needed to provide critical lifesaving assistance to six million people suffering from the devastating impact of the 13 year armed conflict in the region.

The body also noted that the northeast experienced an increase of 500,000 people from the 5.5 million people identified for assistance in 2022.

Of the $1.3 billion required, $631 million will be urgently needed for an emergency response to the 2.4 million people in acute need.

A statement yesterday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said “the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for north-east Nigeria launched today requests US$1.3 billion to provide critical lifesaving assistance to six million people suffering from the devastating impact of the continuing 13 year-long non-international armed conflict.  This is an increase of 500,000 people from the 5.5 million people identified for assistance in 2022.”

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, was quoted in the statement to have said: “The large-scale humanitarian and protection crisis shows no sign of abating,” revealing that: “An estimated 2.4 million people are in acute need – impacted by conflict, disaster and disease – and require urgent support.”

He lamented that some humanitarian needs of affected people are deepening and increasing, particularly those related to food insecurity and malnutrition, adding that approximately 4.4 million people are expected to face food insecurity in the 2023 lean season, up from 4.1 million in 2022, while insisting that without urgent action, 4,000 people in Bama, Borno State, are expected to be in ‘catastrophe’ (Phase 5) conditions, in which starvation, death, destitution and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels become prevalent.

According to the statement, the ticking time bomb of child malnutrition is escalating in Nigeria’s north-east, with the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition projected to increase to 2 million in 2023, up from 1.74 million in last year. The already high levels of severe acute malnutrition are projected to more than double, from 300,000 children affected last year to a projected 697,000 this year.

Schmale said: “Women and girls are the hardest hit,” stressing that: “Over 80 per cent of people in need of humanitarian assistance across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are women and children. They face increased risks of violence, abduction, rape and abuse.”

nearly two million returnees who lack essential services and livelihoods, and 4.8 million people in host communities or communities affected by the conflict.

Over a million people are estimated to be in extremely hard-to-reach areas where they are unable to get to basic services or receive assistance and humanitarian actors are unable to reach them.

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has reiterated his administration’s commitment to tackling the proliferation of fake drugs in the state.

The governor spoke when he opened the Coordinated Pharmaceutical Warehouse Centre (CWC), otherwise known as the Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Pharmaceutical Centre.

He warned wholesale drug sellers in the open market in Sabon Gari to relocate to the new centre.

He said: “Other areas for wholesale of drugs will be closed down forthwith, and those found wanting will be prosecuted. This is a complete regulated market; it is the only legal place where you can sell wholesale drugs. The Federal Government has guidelines for the sale of drugs that are healthy, and we promised ourselves that we will change the vulnerable situation in the sale of counterfeit, illegal and fake drugs that Kano finds itself. With this opening today, we have reached a major milestone in the battle to control illegal and fake drugs.”

The CWC is part of the larger 117-acre Kano Economic City (KEC), developed under a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement between Brains and Hammers Limited and the state government.

Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire, and Director-General the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeleye, praised Ganduje for becoming a model for other states. 

Ehanire said history will be kind to his administration for relocating all stakeholders to a regulated drug facility, while Adeleye said the centre would make the agency’s job easier.

The Federal Government in 2003 brought the idea of a Coordinated Warehouse Centre (CWC) for pharmaceuticals to stop the chaotic and dangerous trade in drugs in the open markets.

Dignitaries at the inauguration were the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado-Bayero; Managing Director of Jaiz Bank, a major stakeholder and financier of the project, Dr Sirajo Salisu, his predecessor and members of the Kano State Executive Council.

Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has urged youth in the country to participate in the electoral processes in order to have a say in governance.

The minister made the appeal during the 5th Assembly of the Nigeria Youth Parliament in Abuja, on Thursday.

Dare, who was represented by the Director Network and Social Mobilisation, in the ministry, Amina Dauran, said the role of the Nigerian youths remained a critical factor in the conduct of free and fair elections in the country, adding that the youth had been denied the chance to count and be counted in the electoral process.

He said the ministry had done its best to promote youth participation in the electoral processes, through its workshops on Effective Youth Participation in Elections, Governance and Electoral Processes, adding that the ministry will continue to support the NYP by scaling up initiatives to ensure participation and meaningful engagement of every youth group.

The minister said: “As Nigeria prepares for elections, the role and place of the youths in Nigeria’s capacity to conduct free, fair and peaceful elections remains a very critical factor in the process. Nigerian voters, especially the youths, have been denied the chance to count and be counted in the process of choosing who governs them; a situation that has become a key driver of conflict in the transition process in Nigeria.

“My Ministry in view of promoting youth participation and representation in electoral and decision-making processes, organised capacity building workshops on Effective Youth Participation in Elections, Governance and Electoral Processes for youth in Southern and Northern Nigeria. 

Yoruba self-determination activist, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to disregard the Supreme Court’s order on the phaseout of the old N1,000, N500 and N200.

While the court held that they all remained legal tender, the President said in a broadcast on Thursday that only N200 would be valid till April 10.

The group said the President’s decision was an outright vindication of self-determination activists who had tagged Nigeria as the Thomas Hobbes’ State of Nature.

Adeleye, who is the Convener of a development-driven pan-Yoruba group, Yoruba Professionals Foundation (YPF), said regardless of the opinion of President Buhari, a Supreme Court order is meant to be obeyed without any reservation.

The Public Relations Expert, who said he supports the naira redesign policy in principle, however, described it as one poorly, and abysmally implemented and executed by the CBN thus far, hence, the furore across the nations .

He averred that some dissatisfied Nigerians, including himself who have been calling for a total decommissioning of 1999 Constitution as amended, have been vindicated because, for disobeying the highest court in the land, Buhari has officially confirmed Nigeria as a Banana Republic.

His statement, which he made available to our correspondent, reads in parts; “I just finished reading the national broadcast of President Muhammad Buhari on the ongoing quagmire of shortage of naira occasioned by the redesigning of #200, #500 and #1,000 notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“Mr. President tried very hard to defend the policy which is expected of him. Just like he enumerated in his broadcast, let me say very expressly that I am in support of the policy in principle but its implementation has been very abysmal, hence, the furore from several stakeholders, including Governors and other well-meaning Nigerians.

“The last straw that broke the camel’s back is that after all the twists and turns, Mr. President finally took a stance on the pronouncement of Supreme Court on the ongoing imbroglio without minding whose ox is gored – President Buhari has chosen to disregard the Apex Court order that status quo be maintained pending determination of motion on notice in respect of the suit instituted by some states against the Federal Government over the naira redesign policy.

“For disregarding the Supreme Court order, i want to say without any fear or favor that President Buhari is now running Nigeria like a State of Nature. The fact is, either forged or manufactured, a court order, especially the one granted by the Supreme Court is meant to be obeyed without any objection.

“For disregarding the highest court in the land, Mr. President has vindicated those of us who are currently calling for the dissolution of amalgamation of 1914 of the South and North of Nigeria and total decommissioning of the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“You can’t make poverty, hunger and starvation the watchwords of the people through policies of government and say the people, the ultimate in a democracy, should fold their arms without reacting. You cannot consistently disregard the laws and court orders and say people should continue to watch.

“Lastly, let me say that Mr. President must be joking if he thinks the naira redesign policy would curb vote buying next weekend . I will apologise if there’s not vote buying next weekend. In my opinion, Mr. President is just suffering the common people, not the ruling class.

“It is time for the common people to show that indeed, they are the ultimate in a democracy. They need to react now without destroying public infrastructures.”